Air-washing apparatus



June 119, 1923. 1,459,442

5. c. CUTLER 'AIR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 19, 1923. 1,459,442

S. C. CUTLER I AIR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 reenter time is, rare.

SAEEUJEE; G. CUTLER, E BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MRPWASHIBTG APPARATUS.

Application filed revemtei- 1, 191a. semi an. $34,973.

To oZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. CUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in an Air-Washing Apparatus, of whichethe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, lilrev reference charto actors on the drawings indicating likeparts in the several figures.

This invention relates to apparatus for washing, purigingand humiditying air and other gases. he present commercial types.

155 of apparatus for performing these functions involve relatively large installations entirely too expensive for many purposes. The present invention aims to devise an apparatus of this character which can be economi- 29 cally manufactured, and which will be suited particularly to those classes of service where relatively small or portable types of apparatus are required. Theterm gas is used herein in its broad sense to include not only air but various gases and fumes to which the present invention is applicable.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accom- W panying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

lln the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in cross 5 section, of an apparatus embo'dyin the invention in the form at present pre erred;

Fig. 2 is an an arview showing the construction of the an used in the apparatus shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an angular view of the pump forming part of the apparatus shown in Fig. l and 1 Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l of a modified construction.

Referring first to Figs. l, 2 and 3, theapparatuslthere shown comfprlses an upright container 2, preferably 0 cylindr cal form, having a tapered bottom 3 wh ch forms a reservoir for water or other liquid. The apparatus issupported in an upright position by legs a, or y any other suitable means depending upon the conditions under which it 1S used. An electric motor 5 is mounted on the top 6 of the container and drives a 5 vertical shaft which preferably is formed in two sections, an upper section 7 and a lower section 8, these two sections being secured together by set screws threaded through the hub 9 of a fan 10 so that the hub of this tan-forms a coupling for the shaft. Secured to the lower end of. the shaft 8 is a simple form of pump 12 consisting of a hollow inverted cone provided with a suitable hub, the base or the cone being flared. If desired the inner surface of this hollow cone may be provided with suitable ribs to assist in litting the-water.

7 Normally the reservoir in the bottom of the container is filled with water to substantially the height indicated by the dotted line 13 so that the lower end of the pump is sub merged. A basket strainer 14: surrounds the pump and strains out foreign material that otherwise would find its way to the pump. When the apparatus is in. operation the rapid rotation of the ump causes water to flow. upwardly along t eitapered surfaces of thepump and to be thrown from its upper peripheral edge in the form of. a sheet or spray, this spray. being directed laterally against the sides of the casing. A series of air inlet ports 15 formed in the casing rapid rotation of the fan creates an inward flow of air through these ports, this current or air flowing downwardly around the lower edge of the deflector plate and then upwardly through the sprayv created by the pump 12 and through the body of the container to the fan where it is expelled from the casing through a series of outlet ports 17. An upper deflector plate 18 directs this current of air to the central portion of the fan. lit will be seen from an inspection of the drawings that the pump 12 and deflector plate 16 are so placed with reference to each other that the spray created by the pump will be directed on to or above the deflector plate or in the event the deflector plate is dispensed with will be directed against the side of the container and the liquid falling from the deflector plate or the side of the container will form a curtain of liquid through which the incoming air through the ports 15, for example, must pass.

It is obvious that as the air passes through the spray it will pick up or entrain a. great quantity of water. There appears to be an afiinity between the particles of water and particles of dust or other foreign material present in the air, as is well understood by those skilled in this art. The small droplets of water form about the particles of dust so that if the water is separated from the air apparently all of the foreign ma.- terial will be eliminated from the air. For this purpose a series of eliminators 20 are located between the pump and the tan where the current of air must pass through them.

These eliminators are of the common well known type consisting of blades or vanes having downwardly curved edges, the successive sets of vanes being difi'erently directed so that they guide the air in a zigzag ath. The particles of water are caught y the projecting lips or margins of the vanes where they collect and drop back into the reservoir 3. A drain pipe 21, controlled by a valve 22, afiords a convenient means for emptying the reservoir whenever desired. lit is obvious that it desired the reset voir could be equipped with means for maintaining a constant circulation of water through the reservoir, and as some classes of service this arrangement is desirable.

lit will now be clear that when the apparatus is in operation a rapid steady current of air will be drawn in through the intake ports 15 and will be directed upwardly through the spray created by the pump where it will pick up a. considerable quantity of water, the greater part of this water being separated from the air by the eliminators 20. Practically all of the dust, lint or other foreign material carried by the air thus is washed out and the clean air is expelled from the apparatus through the ports 17. This operation will take place continuously thus efiectin a rapid and eilicient cleaning, purificatmn and humi%'- lying of the air. ()bviously some of t e moisture will remain in the air but this usually is desirable and in any event the quantit of moisture so retained can be control ed within reasonable limits by suitably designing the apparatus. llt will be appreciated that the apparatus is very simp e in construction and is especially suited to those locations and classes of service where a sim lo and relatively inexpensive apparatus 0 this character is required or where a portable type of apparatus is necessary.

In some cases it is desirable not only to wash and humidity the air but also to change its temperature and this object may be conveniently realized with the apparatus shown in Fig. t. In this figure the parts ;corresponding to those shown in Fig. 1 are designa by the same numerals as those used in the latter figure. ferring to ll at it will be seen that the container 2 1s surroded by an outer shell 24: through -which aseries oil air intake openings 25 income consist of steam, hot water, chilled brine,

gas, or the like. Another coil of pipe 27 1s located just above the eliminators 20 where a suitable heating or cooling medium may be circulated through it to modify the temperature of the air ust before it is e rpolled from the container. The operation of this apparatus is exactly like that shown in Fig. 1 except that the temperature of the incoming'current of air is modified by contact with the coil 26 and that the temperature of the air treated is further moditied by the coil 27. It is obvious that only one of these coils need he used it desired lit will be understood that while air has been mentioned particularly as the as treated, that the apparatus is also applies. is to the treatment of other gases. In some cases also it will be found desirable to use a liquid other than water in the apparatus but it is obvious that the use of such a liquid-does not involve a departure from.

the present invention.

It will also be understood that the apparatus may be used either in the form shown where the device, or a series of them, may be employed to remove dust, lint, or the like from the air, or it may be connected up b suitable conduits with an enclosure or wit other apparatus from which air laden with foreign material is taken, washed, and humidified in this apparatus with or without the temperature being chand, as desired, and the air finally returne again to the place from which it was taken.

What is claimed as new is:

l. The method of washin gas comprising the creating or a laterally irected spray of liquid, a downwardly extending curtain of liquid through which spra and curtain the gas to be washed is passe creatin a flow of gas through said curtain and said laterally directed spray and separating the liquid from the gas above said laterally directed spray.

2. A gas washing apparatus comprising in combination a container having a liquid reservoir therein, said container provided with gas inlet and outlet ports, means for creating a laterally directed spray above said incoming gas, me for creating a downwardly extending curtain of liquid through which the incoming gas mun pass, means for creating a flow of said incoming 1i through said curtain and said laterally irected spray, and cans above the spray Mid llil

resents way to the outlet orts, said separated liquid falling through t e container to said liquid reservoir, and through which liquid the gas flowing to said outlet ports must pass.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combination, an upright container having a water reservoir in the bottom thereof and provided with air intake ports above said reservoir, and air outlet ports near the upper part of said container, a horizontally disposed centrifugal fan in the upper part of said container operative to create a flow of air through said ports and through the container, a pump in the lower part of said container operative to create a laterally directed spray in said container, means for operating said pump, a downwardly directed annular deflector plate Within said container against which said spray is directed and below which the incoming air must pass, a plate in the upperpart of said container for directing the air toward the central part of said fan, and a series of eliminators between said fan and pump operative to remove a substantial part of the water entrained by the air before it is expelled from the container by said fan.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising, in combinatioina double walled container, a fan in said containeroperative to create a flow of air therethrough, said container having ports in its walls located to cause said air to flow through the longitudinal space between the walls, means in said space for chan g substantially the temperature of the air during its flow through said space, means for creating a spray in said container through which said current of air mustflow, and means for removin a substantial part of the water entrained y the air before the air is expelled from said container by said fan.

5. An apparatus of the character. described, comprising, in combination, an upright container of substantially circular cross section having a water reservoir in the bottom thereof and provided with air intake ports immediately above said reservoir and air outlet ports near the upper part of said container, a horizontally disposed centrifngal fan in the upper part of said container operative to create a flow of air through said ports and through the container, a rotary pump in, the lower part of said container comprising an inverted conical member dipping into the water in said reservoir and operative to create a laterally directed spray in said container, a vertical shaft on which for iving said shaft, a downwardly and inwardly directed annular deflector plate within said container immediately above said intake ports and against which said spray is directed, a tapered deflector plate in the upper part of said container for disaid and motor are mounted, a motor E P 'I i recting the air toward the central part of said fan, and a series of eliminators between said fan and pump operative to remove a substantial part of the water entrained by the air before it is expelled from the container by said fan. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' :l L C. CUTLER. 

